Once more, the biggest prize for Europe’s elite football competition, the European Champions League is up for grabs. The finalists this year are the usual suspects, Real Madrid of Spain and resurgent Liverpool FC of England. The date is May 26, at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, capital of Ukraine. The likely outcome of the result is generating a lot of heated debates among football stakeholders across the globe.

Who wins it? Will it be 12-time winner, Real Madrid who is gunning for its third successive titles or the Reds, who had clinched the trophy on five previous occasions? Obviously, the odds favour Real Madrid, based on their pedigree, quality of players and experience in continental and global competitions. It looks like a one-sided final on paper. But football is not mathematics like we always say.

The arrival of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool has turned the belief in the team around. They now think they represent the best of what the Premiership offers, having dusted the high-flying Manchester City on their way to the finals. But do they have what it takes to deny Real Madrid three Champions League trophies in a roll? The feeling at Anfield is that impossible is nothing. And as their slogan goes; “You will never walk alone”…. Surely, they won’t want to walk alone. Not in Kiev…. and not in the final of this competition which they were not considered good enough to reach the finals. This is a daunting task, but not insurmountable if you are an ardent follower of the round leather game. Who would have tipped AS Roma to eliminate almighty FC Barcelona in the quarterfinal?

Pundits think anyone crowning Real Madrid as champions before May 26 is doing so at his or her peril. This Liverpool has the best attack in the EPL and arguably in Europe this season. With the trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Firmino, who have shared about 100 goals among themselves, any defence, team or coach is bound to panic if or when Liverpool comes calling for a game.

Related News

The understanding among the trio is near perfect. In front of any defence line they know where each of them is located even with their eyes closed. Their pacy, breezy and all action raid on opponents goal areas make the trio the most dreaded in club football at the moment. However, with the quartet of Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Marcelo and Dani Carvajal, Real Madrid has a formidable defence to diffuse any attack or raid or to cage any attack irrespective of how prolific it is. It is not in contest that Real Madrid has the best defence this season in Europe. Aside the ruthlessness of the Sergio Ramos led defence, the quartet individually has a way of scoring crucial goals in vital games of this magnitude. The back four are potential scorers any day as proven by Marcelo in the last two fixtures of his club.

This brings a balance in this tie. Though, Real Madrid’s attack has been a bit of a one-man show, given the prowess of Cristiano Ronaldo and his talismanic performances when push comes to shove. But the team struggles most times when he fails to come to the party. The balance mentioned above is the raging attack of Liverpool FC versus the ruthless defence of Real Madrid. The edge, however, which could likely play a decisive role on May 26 in Kiev, is the middlemen. Fortunately for Real Madrid they have highly discipline, tactical and creative players in Toni Kroos and Luca Modric. This duo posses the potential of changing the course of any game any day. They are very mobile and full of running. They are blessed with tailor-made passes capable of splitting any defence wall, irrespective of how solid it may be.

They are great dribblers with high level of skills. They hold the ball without breaking sweat. Above all, they do not only create scoring opportunities but they also pick match winning goals. Incidentally, Liverpool doesn’t have the match of Kroos and Modric in the middle. This would be of great disadvantage to the Reds, except Klopp can come up with a strategy, game plan, pattern or formation that could rundown the engine room of Real Madrid, which is oiled by Kroos and Modric. Trust the German, he could possess the magic that will throw a spanner in the works or wheel of his opponents come May 26. But Klopp must stop his substitution style and strategy if he hopes to get the trophy. Twice he has pulled out Salah in the middle of the second half or towards the end of the games, and twice he had almost burnt his fingers with those heartrending substitutions. He pulled out Mane at a very crucial time in Rome and conceded two goals. Klopp must be told that his three soldiers upfront (Mane, Salah and Firmino) could finish any game. He should be told that they compliment each other’s efforts. He should be told that they have struck partnership of immense understanding that makes it almost impossible for any or two others to play without one or two of the three. They are compatible just as they are indispensable to Klopp himself and the team at large. The Kiev game should be an encounter of 90 minutes for the trio if, Klopp hopes to return to England with the ultimate prize and title of European club football.

Having said this, three factors could determine where the pendulum of victory would swing. First, the hungrier of both teams could dictate the result or outcome of the game. If Liverpool’s attack could sustain the tempo it started the season with and if Real Madrid defence goes to sleep in Kiev then, the outcome could be a rude shock to bookmakers. Secondly, Klopp must find a solution to the duo of Kroos and Modric if he hopes to come out of the battle of Kiev a winner. He also has to inject the idea of neutralising Real Madrid attack, talking strictly of Ronaldo who could spring surprises on this big occasion as he has always done in the past. Should Ronaldo, who has been pretty anonymous in the two-legged semifinal fixtures come to the party in the final then, Klopp must come up with strategy of pinning down the highly athletic and combative forward. Thirdly, luck will play a huge role in this final game. The luckier of the two sides could just smile home with the prestigious trophy. We have seen the level and kind of officiating in this competition this year, especially in the knockout stages. Some argue that, the match officials are biased, many disagree. We saw some calls in the games between AS Roma and Liverpool. Football fans hold different views on these calls depending on the team they support. However, the match officials in this all-important fixture in Kiev will play vital roles on who wins the trophy. All eyes would be on the calls, just as we hope that expectations of all will produce worthy champions in Kiev. Will Real Madrid make it 13 Champions League titles plus three straight wins in their last three appearances? Or will Liverpool secure their sixth title with a ‘steal’ like they did against AC Milan in 2005? We wait to find out as all roads lead to Kiev in Ukraine.